1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fluid delivery system, and more particularly, to such a fluid delivery system including a vial for containing therein a substance, preferably a powder, such as medicament or drug, and a container for containing therein a fluid, preferably a liquid, such as solution or diluent, to mix the powder with the liquid to obtain a medical solution.
2. Description of the Related Art
In hospitals or other health case facilities, dry medicament, such as powdered medicament or freeze-dried medicament, packaged within a container, such as a vial, has been conventionally used in such a manner that the above-mentioned medicament is mixed with or dissolved in a solution, which is to be provided for fluid therapy. In this case, the vial containing the medicament and another container containing a solution or diluent are connected to each other by means of a double-pointed hollow needle or any other communicating pipe, so that the solution is transferred to the vial containing the medicament to dissolve the latter.
However, such an operation requires laborious and troublesome works and, moreover, there is a fear of contamination because a hole for connection is formed on the container for drug in the open air.
To solve such problems, a fluid delivery system having an object of carrying out an operation in a completely sterile condition has been proposed, such as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications (kohyo) No. 61-501129 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,971), (kokai) No. 2-1277 (which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,841), and (kokai) No. 3-37067. A fluid storage and delivery system which cannot expect a complete sterile operation, but capable of optionally selecting the combinations between the medicament and solution and attaining a substantially sterile operation, has been proposed, such as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications (kokai) Nos. 59-209535, 62-137056, and 2-4375, or also Japanese Examined Patent Publications (kokoku) No. 2-26506.
In the above-mentioned JP-A 61-501129, a capsule accommodating a medicament container and a flexible container containing a solution are connected to each other by a tube, in such a manner that the medicament container is mutually communicated with the flexible container by communicating means provided in the tube and therefore the medicament is mixed with the solution in a sterile condition. Also, in JP-A 2-1277, capsule accommodating a medicament container is connected by its connecting portion to an opening of a solution container. The connecting portion of the capsule is accompanied with a communicating means providing with a means for controlling the connection order, in such a manner that the medicament container is first pierced by the communicating means and then the solution container is pierced so that the two containers are mutually communicated by the communicating means and therefore the medicament is mixed with the solution in a sterile condition. In JP-A 3-37067, a medicament container, a communicating means and a solution container are arranged in such an order and covered air tightly with a sheet made of synthetic resin. A container support means is provided between the medicament container and the solution container for supporting them over the sheet, so that the medicament container and the solution container are prevented from accessing toward each other until they are mutually communicated in a sterile condition.
On the other hand, JP-A 59-209535 discloses a system comprising a first hermetically sealed flexible container having a flexible wall member, a second container having a detachable stopper and which can be fixed through the wall member, and a stopper detaching means having a portion engaged with the stopper. The stopper comes into engaged with the stopper detaching means through the first and second containers and then the stopper is removed from the second container together with a sealing barrier of the first flexible container, so that the two containers are mutually communicated to allow the mixing of the contents in these containers. JP-A 62-137056 and JP-A 2-4375 discloses a system in which the above-mentioned second container is improved. Also, JP-A 2-26506 discloses a further improved system of that disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A 59-209535.
Also, Unexamined Patent Publication (kokai) No. 4-329956 discloses a sterile mixing apparatus of medicament container in a sealed vial, the apparatus comprising a vial containing therein a medicament, a liquid container, pierceable plug members for hermetically sealing the openings of the vial and the container, respectively, a cannula member having respective edges at both sides. When the vial is pushed down to said container, one of needle tips of the cannula is first pierced and inserted into the medicament vial and then the other needle tip of the cannula is pierced to the fluid container, so that the medicament vial and the fluid container are communicated to each other through the cannula.
However, in the former system as disclosed in JP-A 61-501129, since a pair of the medicament container and the solution container are constructed as one unit, an operation in a complete sterile condition can be attained, although the kind of medicament which can be used in this system is restricted. On the other hand, the system disclosed in JP-A 59-209535 is relatively complicate in construction and has some drawbacks. For example, the stopper is undesirably dropped in the first container. It is difficult to obtain an operation in a complete sterile operation, although a substantially sterile operation can be attained. Also, since combination between the medicament container and the solution container can optionally be selected, suitable managing and handling would strongly be required in the medical field.
In the system discloses JP-A 4-329956, a special mechanism or means is necessary for retaining the medicament vial so as not to communicate with liquid container until the vial is intentionally pushed down to toward the container by an operator.